Polymers are often blended together and compounded with fillers to obtain a desired mix of properties for a particular application at an economic cost. In general, blends have properties that are approximately the average of the properties of the individual components. If severe phase separation occurs, the properties of the blend may be poorer than the average of the properties of the individual components. Only rarely are properties obtained that are better than the average of the properties of the components.
Blends of liquid crystalline polyesters and poly(arylene sulfide)s are known in the art, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,397. These blends have properties that make then useful in the electronics industry.
Blends of liquid crystalline poly(esteramides) and poly(phenylene sulfide)s have been reported in two publications, one by L. I. Minkova et al in Polymer Engineering and Science, Vol. 32 (No. 1), Mid-January, 1992, pp. 57-64, the other by S. M. Hong et al, Polymer Journal, vol. 24 (No. 8), 1992, pp. 727-736. The poly(phenylene sulfide) component of these blends shows an accelerated crystallization rate compared with unblended poly(phenylene sulfide).
Blends of wholly aromatic liquid crystalline polyesters and liquid crystalline poly(esteramides) have been reported in U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,227. Molded articles made from these blends are reported to show an improvement in certain physical properties compared with the average of the properties of the individual polymers. These blends are also reported as having a lower melt viscosity than that of either polymer component.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,15 1,458 discloses poly(arylene sulfide) molding compounds which have reduced melt viscosity and higher rates of crystallization through the addition of low molecular weight (i.e. non-polymeric) liquid crystal esters and/or esteramides.